Lots Going On

hey elly...got the message when i read your blog...hotels and cruise ships were awful for internet access...was a huge mess...finally just gave up and figured i would up-date when i got home...

alaska is the most incredible, amazing, holy place i have ever seen...the silence settles around your body with a real sense of weight...the glare from the glacier is blue and catches the light like a jewel...the ship releases the fog horn and your heart skips from the beauty...the sound feels right...i feel blessed to have seen this place...i feel clean and refreshed...i want to bring my kids and their kids next time...i want them to see what the world can look like...

vancouver was really cool...young and lively...astounding gardens...incredible parks...a walking town for sure...loved it...walked the suspension bridge...went to the top of grouse mountain...walt was a bit of a sissy man on the capilano bridge...the engineer in him noticed all the possibilities...

took the ferry from vancouver to victoria island...we went to the butterfly garden and had a great time...nicely done, i must say...they created an entire rain forest, complete with flamingo and koi...i cheated and smeared some soft banana on the back of my hand so they would settle on me...works every time...always feel close to emmy when there are butterflies about...then we went to visit craigdarroch castle which was really cool...lots of stained glass and fancy stuff...have put it on my list of"castles caylie must see"...

seattle...finally...what a great city...stayed in a room on the 34th floor...view was stunning...the city is younger than i am used to, being from the east...everything feels new and current...the crab cakes at "elliots" could make you weep...had my oysters sitting at an outside table, watching the ships roll in...had my chowder while watching the sun set...can see why elly and chris love it...elly could have maybe warned me the hills are alot like san francisco...ended up taking a taxi uphill to the hotel at the end of the day...walked my entire ass off in seattle...the entire pacific northwest suprised me...i can only hope mary margaret and patrick never visist...if they do they will move there and i won't get to see caylie as often...we keep doug away from key west florida for the same reason...he would move there in a new york minute...thank goodness erin sticks close to her mama...

visited tacoma because it was my mother's home town...found where she went to school and where my parents got married...managed to crash a funeral which was the highlight really...not much was left from the 1940's...found lots of homeless and new public housing...she wouldn't recognize the place...we did manage to stumble upon the "glass museum", where we got to watch glass blowing...saved the day...

for right now i am glad to be home...i had to come home so we can plan our october visit to the russell's...can't wait...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CRUSSELL..HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...you know the voice...use your imagination darlin'...hope your day was a good one...